Features | Level of the Week | Wrath

The town
Command point 1
Command point 2

Command point 3

Attacker's spawn
Inside the cathedral
Map Name: Wrath
Author: Necrophile
Map Type: Capture the flag
Web Site: N/A
Download: wrath.zip

New Textures
New Skybox
New Models/Sprites
New Sounds

Scoring:

10 for capturing or returning a relic
2 for each minute of defense

Overview:

Forgive me father for i have sinned...

Ok, so im not a very religious guy, but it's been down right blasphemy on my part for not reviewing this map sooner. I dig, i dig and i dig some more to find a worthy map for the LOTW... and then the TF gods reward me with a masterpeice!

Description:

As soon as i respawned upon loading Wrath, my first thought was "Wow". The map is set in an italian town built around a massive cathedral complete with perfectly fitting custom textures around curving architecture, flickering candles... and get this: the author even put in the sounds of a couple of monks chanting away to complete the atmosphere. Beautiful!

The town around the cathedral has 3 command points which the red team has to secure with relics (flags) held inside the cathedral by the defending blue team. Once the 3 command points have been secured, the blue team has to recover the flags, but not before suffering the wrath of god! The town itself is very nicely detailed with plenty of vertical changes by ramps, stairs and ladders interconnecting each of the 3 areas, providing plenty of routes to access each of them as well as making it an engineer's playground. Everything inch of architecture as been made to give it a very italian feeling including the great lighting, plenty of ambient sounds like distant gunfire and cracking fire and of course, a nice custom skybox.

With all of this, you'd have to think there is a downside to the map. As far as gameplay goes, only the map's size was problematic. The cathedral as many entrances which concing scouts and medics can go through to reach the flags and escape in a flash, and the layout is easy enough to learn with plenty of lit up signs for each team. But with so many path leading everywhere, you need to have a lot of people on each team to successfully defend/attack a command point. Thankfully, the map has a ton of excellent sniper spots for both offensive and defensive actions. Needless to say, the map has a little something for every class and playing style.

Conclusion:

If you're looking to spruce up your /maps folder with a good map for christmas, make sure to put Wrath on top of your list. And since you don't have to wait until December 25th to download it, that's one more reason to grab it and get playing!

-BlackPanther

BlackPanther's Mapping Guide

How can i make my map look good?

There is no simple answer to this question. Every mapper wants his map to looks it's best. Sometimes, even only custom textures can make a map look like a million bucks. The truth is, it varies for each map. You have to figure out by yourself what's fitting for your map's theme and what it's gameplay is going to be like. Mapping for HLDM is no where near the same as making a map for single player use. The level of detailing isn't quite the same when you're running away from someone with an RPG vs an alien with electric bolts coming out of it's arms!

When making a map for TFC, above all, you want it to be an overall good look. By that, i mean picking a theme (texture, lighting, architecture) and sticking to it all over your map. If your theme is a n old castle set high up in the alps, you'd want snow and cliffs and rotten wood beams. The trick is to be consistent all over. Never give the players who will be playing your map the chance to think "This hallways sucks compared to the others". You don't want to make his jaw drop from pure visual pleasure at every step, you want him to feel like he's IN the theme.

Also, you want to make your map's architecture revolve around the gameplay. For example, if you're making a CTF map set in an urban feel, you'd want the battlement, the respawns and the flag room to revolve around this by making parking lots and garages along with a brick, industrial or even office texture set. But again, this all depends on the theme you chose in the first place. You can be excused if your setting is on an alien planet where your imagination can roam freely, but if your making a desert themed map and your architecture is reminiscent of medieval times, then it just looks wrong.

Remember, consistency is key, but never forget that gameplay always comes first no matter what.

-BlackPanther





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